The following are editorial opinions from newspapers from around the world which may be of interest to Royal Gazette readers.

San Francisco Chronicle –on bloated US intelligence network

The fight against terrorism has grown into an unchecked colossus, with dozens of federal agencies churning out duplicative data while private contractors take over government work. It's a runaway world, built on the urgency to combat a genuine threat, but there's no one in charge.

That's the impression left by a detail-rich investigation by the Washington Post of the secret intelligence and military world created by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In the aftermath, panicked and angry leaders of both parties gave a blank check and almost unlimited governmental powers to a gauzy world of spooks, generals, technocrats and empire-building bureaucrats.

The costs are well into the hundreds of billions. The results are anything but total victory: Last year a fumbling shoe bomber nearly set off a jet-plane explosion over Detroit, and an Army doctor went on a rampage in Fort Hood, killing 13. Both had left ample clues that they were trouble, but the country's vaunted intelligence network failed to pinpoint them. No one is in charge, a fact that led the Obama White House to replace the last director of intelligence for failing to rein in and coordinate operations.

But the issue runs deeper than one appointee and his or her abilities. With so many agencies competing to track information, sift intercepts and write up their findings, it's almost impossible to stay atop the river of data. Too many are collecting too much.

The very shape of government is changing. An estimated 854,000 people have top-secret clearances, one yardstick for the size of the clandestine world. Of this, 265,000 are private contractors, not government workers. This second group does everything from designing spy satellites and civil defence work to prisoner interrogations and bodyguard work. The public clearly wants security in a dangerous world. But an unchecked secret government isn't the answer.

The Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, –on mergers with Chinese businesses

Chinese companies are increasingly eyeing mergers and acquisitions with Japanese companies. High-end clothing maker Renown Inc. becoming an affiliate of a large Chinese textiles company is but one example. These moves symbolise the coming of an era of increased business management fusion between China and Japan. ...

Previously, it was a one-way street with Japanese companies buying Chinese businesses. The collapse of Lehman Brothers in fall 2008 changed the tide. Chinese enterprises, which continue to grow, have begun buying Japanese companies even though they have particular skills and business know-how. More management fusion between Japan and China via M&As should occur.

Some people fear there will be an outflow of Japanese technology. But if this is in a specific area that Japan simply cannot let go, then there are ways to prevent a skills drain, with the cooperation of business partners and, if necessary, government support.

Rather, in order to open up a path whereby Japanese companies can better utilise their accumulated skills and know-how, perhaps they should approach M&A proposals more aggressively. To help blend into the Chinese market, Japanese companies should consider how to get more people in China to understand Japanese business practices. M&As are one way of removing national barriers within management. It would be the quickest way to enhance Chinese appreciation of Japanese technology and tastes and demonstrate that these qualities will work to increase China's prosperity. ...

In the Chinese classic "Yi Jing," there is a passage that goes as follows: "When hard-pressed, things will change; when things change, a path will open; when a path opens, it will last." Thus, in order to adapt to change and open up a vision for the future, it is important to pursue the path of fusion that utilises each other's strong points.